Bend it like Beckham: Arsenal, Liverpool and others who enjoyed a winning streak in English football history

From Liverpool to Juventus, the longest unbeaten runs in European football:

LIVERPOOL
44 games
2019-20


The Reds went one year, one month and 27 days without losing a Premier League game, the second-longest streak in English football history. Before their surprise loss against Watford, their last loss came at the Etihad against rivals Manchester City in January 2019. Liverpool lost out on the league title by a solitary point that season. They are on course to go one better this year, sitting 22 points above second-placed City heading into the business end of the season.

JUVENTUS
49 games
2011-12

One of the most formidable teams in Europe had a turbulent time after the turn of the millennium. They were demoted to Serie B over the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal, struggled to secure Champions League qualification, and were unceremoniously dumped out of Europa League by Fulham after being promoted to the top-flight. However, under Antonio Conte, Juventus went unbeaten for 49 games before eventually losing 3-1 at home to Inter Milan.

ARSENAL
49 games
2003-04

The Gunners went unbeaten for 49 games, but more notably, an entire season. The Invincibles’ run was thwarted by Manchester United in 2004. The fixture is remembered for the notorious ‘Battle-of-the-Buffet’ incident in which a slice of pizza was thrown at Alex Ferguson by Cesc Fabregas in the tunnel at Old Trafford. However, while the two bitter rivals fought, it was Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho who had the last laugh that season, winning the league in his first season at the club.

BAYERN MUNICH
53 games
2012-14

The Bavarians’s unbeaten streak lasted almost two calendar years, and was overseen by two different managers. Jupp Heynckes, who was roped in midseason to stop Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund, almost managed to catch up with the runaway leaders. Though he didn’t succeed in this, he did start an unbeaten run that would outlast his tenure. Pep Guardiola took over and Munich rolled over opponents for the better part of 2013-14 as well, only to lose to lowly Augsburg.

AC MILAN
58 games
1991-93

The Rossoneri hold the record for the longest unbeaten run in European football. Under Fabio Capello, they went the 1991-92 season unbeaten, winning 22 and drawing 12 of their 34 matches. The team boasted the likes of Paolo Maldini, Frank Rijkaard, Marco van Basten, Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacura, and Carlo Ancelotti. They lost only twice the next season — against Juventus and Parma. They won the Serie A, finishing four points ahead of city rivals Inter Milan.